Metaethics - (Palgrave Philosophy Today) by Simon Kirchin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When we say that sharing is morally good and that murdering is wicked, what are we doing? Are we picking out existing moral values? Can our judgements be correct and incorrect? How do moral values fit into the natural world? Do moral values even exist? How do our moral judgements relate to how we are motivated to act? Metaethics is an argumentative textbook that considers these and other metaethical questions in a lively and clear manner. As well as discussing all of the main metaethical positions, a new idea - metaethical pluralism - is introduced. Chapters cover central topics in the subject, including: - Moral realism: initial thoughts - Moral realism: naturalism and reductionism - Moral error theory - Noncognitivism - Sensibility theory - Moral motivation Metaethics is aimed at upper-level undergraduates and postgraduates, but should appeal to anyone with an interest in the area.

Review Quotes

'Simon Kirchin's book is a masterful introduction to metaethics in which he manages to explain key ideas, arguments, and positions involved in metaethical debate and do so in a way that is accessible to beginners. Engagingly written, Metaethics is perfect text for use in upper level undergraduate ethics courses either as a lone text or as a companion to primary sources. Given the scope of the book and its intended audience, it is the best introductory text in metaethics now available.' - Mark Timmons, University of Arizona, USA

About the Author

SIMON KIRCHIN is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Kent, UK. He writes mainly on metaethics. As well as authoring a number of articles, he is the editor of Arguing about Metaethics (with Andrew Fisher), and A World without Values (with Richard Joyce).